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Previous story: Anchor Hocking has begun cleaning up from
Tuesday’s
molten-glass spill and, according to personnel with knowledge of the process, production at the
Lancaster plant could resume as soon as Monday.

There is no quick or easy way to clean up this type of spill, said employees and an outside
expert.

“Typically, the only thing you can do is wait for (the glass) to cool and harden, and then get
out the jackhammers,” said Matthew Hall, a professor of glass science at Alfred University in
western New York. “While it’s in the molten state, there isn’t much you can do.”

Complicating matters is the company’s financial situation. Anchor Hocking’s parent, EveryWare
Global Inc., has until next Tuesday to obtain a credit lifeline or face default. The financial
issues began in mid-May with an unexpectedly poor quarterly report that led to a layoff of most
employees. Full employment at the plant has lately been about 1,200 workers.

Tons of molten glass leaked from a furnace. The company said there were no injuries, and about
10 percent of the contents of the glass tank was released. Molten glass is hotter than 2,000
degrees Fahrenheit.

The restoration will likely be a “hot repair,” Hall said, with specialized workers removing the
solidified glass while standing in the same room as the still-running furnace.

The furnace likely needs to remain running because of the high cost of shutting it down, and
because of technical concerns about dealing with the glass that remains in the tank, he said.

Two employees, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak for the
company, said they expect the work to take four to five days, with the caveat that it would take
longer if the damage is greater than estimated.

One of the employees confirmed late yesterday that the cleanup had begun.

EveryWare released this statement late on Tuesday: “We continue to assess the situation and
investigate the cause. We expect that the furnace will be up and running once all precautions
are taken and repairs are made.”